Sheet metal holder



Feb. Y17, 1942.` Vl.; F, WQOSTER 2,273,608

` SHEET METAL HOLDER Filed oct. 3o, 1940 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 1,7, 1942 Unirse stares Prem ori-ics 2,273,608 SHEET `METAL HOLDER Ernest F. Wooster, San Diego, Calif. Application October 30, 1940, Serial No. 363,407

5 Claims.

i My invention relates to a sheet metal holder, more particularly foruse in holding two or more sheets of metal togetherin fixed flat `engaged relation with each other while `drilling said sheets of metal and forming spaced rivet receiv- -ing or like holes therein and the objects of my invention are:

. (First, to provide a sheet metal holder of this class which is made of a single piece of spring metal and is so arranged that when positioned in aligned adjacent holes of separate sheets of metal, said separate sheets .of metal arel held securely together and said adjacent holes are lmaintained in accurately aligned relation with each other .Second to provide a sheet metal holder of this class which maintains a relatively forceful tensional engaged relation with opposite outer sides of adjacent dat sheets of metal when inserted and positioned in aligned holes in said 4adjacent sheet of metal; f

Third, to provide a sheet metal holder of this class which is made of a single piece "of resilient metal wire and which may accommodate various thicknesses of sheet metal;

Fourth, to provide a sheet metal holder of this` class which is easily inserted in aligned holes in adjacent sheet metal plates;

Fifth, to provide a sheet metal holder of this class which is very simple and easy to operate and which may be very quickly inserted in holes in sheets of metal with a minimum of time and effort expended; v

Sixth, to provide a sheet metal holder of this `class which is self-contained, compact and very accurate in operation;

Seventh, to provide a novel sheet metal holder of this class; f

Eighth, to provide a sheet metal holder of thisv class which maintains a tenacious grip Within holes in adjacent sheets of metal so that said sheet metal holder is not easily moved `from its position within said holes and therefore it must be nally manually removed from said holes as desired;v and f Ninth, to provide a sheet metal holder of this appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had toA the accompanying drawing and to the 'characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my sheet metal holder shown positioned in connection with two sheets of metal and inserted in aligned holes therein, said sheets of metal loeingA shown in section and a varying position of portions of my sheet metal holder being shown by dash lines; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my sheet metal holder showing the opposite side thereof from that as shown in Fig. l and showing two sheets of metal in connection withv my sheet metal holder, said sheets of metal being shown in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of Fig. y2

Fig. 4 `is an elevational View taken from the line 4 4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational View showing a modied form of my sheet metal holder in connection with two sheets of metal,

which sheets of metal are shown in section, and

also showing by rclash lines a verying position of a portion thereof; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 'l--l of Fig.6 and'Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional View taken from the line 8--8 of Fig. 7. v

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views ofthe drawing.

In the construction of my sheet metal holder.

I havey employed a resilient piece of wire material and have formed in the middle portion thereof a coil spring portion I. Diverging outwardly from this coil lspring portion I are arm portions 2 and 3, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2 .of the drawing. The extended end portion of the arm portion 3 is provided with a substantiallyU- shaped portionV 3a, as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Extending upwardly from the` VU- shaped portion 3a and backwardly therefrom` is a substantially semi-circular curved portion 3b integral with whichis a semi-circular in cross section portion 3c, as shown best in Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the4 drawing. This semi-circular in cross section portion 3c is provided with an extending end portion 3d which extends a short distance outwardly from the U-shaped portion 3a at the opposite side thereof from the substantially semi-circular curved portion 3b.

It will be noted that the semi-circular in cross section portion 3c extends through the U-shaped portion 3a in conforming relation with the semicircular in cross section portion 2a of the arm portion 2, as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawing. These semi-circular cross section portions 2a and 3c are positioned together so that they form a substantially annular in cross section structural relation, as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The extended end portion El) of the semicircular in cross section portion 2a is provided with a detent stop portion 2c, which stop portion 2c is arranged to engage the side surface of sheet metal surrounding the hole A therein, as shown best in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

The operation of my sheet metal holder is vsubstantially as follows:

from the solid line position, as indicated by dash lines in Fig. l of the drawing. This end portion 2b is then inserted through the holes A in the separate sheets of metal and the stop detent portion 2c is positioned beyond the further side of the sheets of metal. The end portion td is then inserted inthe holes A in conforming relation with the holes A in the metal and the arm portion 2 is then released and permitted to be forced into the solid line position by means of the resilient character of the coil spring portion l forcing the detent stop portion 2c against the opposing side of these sheets of metal from the U-shaped portion 3a of the arm portion 3, as shown best in Figs. l and 5 of the drawing. It will be here noted that when my sheet metal holder is positioned in connection with sheets of metal in the inserted relation, as shown best in Fig. 5 of the drawing, the semi-circular in cross section portions 3c and 2a in their relation as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing conform to the annular shape internally of the holes A in the sheets of metal, which holes A are formed in the conventional manner by means of a conventional drill,

When it is desired to drill holes in adjacent sheets of metal, holes are drilled in both sheets of metal in spaced relation. Then one of my sheet metal holders is positioned in each of the holes and the two sheets of metal are thereby held in rigid aligned relation so that the holes may be accurately drilled, whereby the holes in separate sheets of metal are maintained in accurate aligned relation with each other for drilling and riveting.

The modification, as shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 of the drawing performs the saine function in substantially the same manner as the structure described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawing. The modified form, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing is provided with a coil spring portion 4, which spring portion 4 is of the helical type having the end portion 4a thereof curved inwardly toward the central portion of the coil spring portion 1n connection with this inwardly curved portion 3a is a semicircular in cross section portion 1b extending longitudinally through the central portion of the coil spring portion t, as shown best in Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawing. In connection with the opposite end of the coil spring portion il is an inwardly curved portion 4c integral with which is a substantially U-shaped portion 4d through which the semi-circular in cross section portion 4b extends. Integral with this semi-circular in cross section portion 4b is an extending end portion 4e. This end portion 4e is provided with a detent stop portion 4f which is substantially the same shape and construction as the end portion 2b, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing and its respective detent stop portion 2c. Integral with the U-shaped portion 4d is a substantially semicircular portion 4g which is provided with a semi-circular in cross section portion 4h. extending in parallel relation with the semi-circular in cross section portion 4b. This semi-circular in cross section portion lh corresponds in shape and operation to the semi-circular in cross section portion 3c of the structure as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing,

It will be here noted that the modified form of my sheet metal holder, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive corresponds in operation and functions to the structure as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the coil spring member 4 of the modification being arranged to correspond in function to the coil spring portion l of the structure disclosed in Figs. l to 5 inclusive. The coil spring portion l, as shown in Fig. 1 oi the drawing, and the coil spring portion 4, as shown in the modied form in Fig. 6 of the drawing are arranged to impart tensional engaged relation of the detent portions 2c and #if respectively at the opposite side of the sheets of metal from the U-shaped portion 3a and 4d respectively of the structure shown in Figs. l to 5 inclusive and the modified structure shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, respectively.

'Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions and a certain modication, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, nor to the modication, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sheet metal holder of the class described, the combination of a single pieceof spring metal provided with a resilient spring portion intermediate its opposite end portions, the opposite end portions of said single piece of spring metal each being semi-circular in cross Section and both arranged together in parallel annular in cross section form, one of said opposite end portions being longitudinally shiftable and the other end portion being stationary, said shiftable end portion provided with a detent stop portion extending outwardly from the semi-circular side portion thereof, said resilient spring portion being of coil form, and a U-shaped portion at one end of said resilient spring portion arranged to support and guide said semi-circular in cross section end portions.

2. In a sheet metal holder of the class described, the combination of a single piece of spring metal provided with a resilient spring portion intermediate its opposite end portions, the opposite end portions of said single piece of spring metal each being semi-circular in cross section and both arranged together in parallel annular in cross section formy one of said opposit@ end portions being longitudinally shiftable 3. In a sheet metal holder of the class described, the combination of a single resilient piece of metal Wire having a spring portion intermediate its opposite end portions, said opposite end portions arranged in parallel relation to each other, one of said' opposite end portions shiftable'relatively with the other end portion, said shiftable end portion provided with a -detent stop portion extending outwardly from the side thereof, a U-shaped portion at one end of said spring portion arranged to support and guide said opposite end portions, both of said opposite end portions extending some distance past said U- shaped portion.

4. In a sheet metal holder of the class described, the combination of a single resilient piece of metal wire having a spring portion intermediate its opposite end portions, said opposite end portions arranged in parallel relation to each other, one of said opposite end portions shiftable relatively with the other end portion, said shiftable end portion provided with a detent stop portion extending outwardly from the side thereof, -a U-shaped portion at one end of said spring portion arranged to support and guide said opposite end portions, both of said opposite end portions extending some distance past said U-shaped portion, and an extending curved portion immediately connected with said U-shaped portion with which said other` end portion is immediately integral,

5. In a sheet metal -holder of the class described, the combination of a single piece of spring metal provided with a resilient spring portion intermediate its opposite end portions, the opposite end portions of said single piece of spring metal each being semi-circular in cross section and both arranged together in parallel annular in cross section form, one of said opposite end portions being longitudinally shiftable and the other end portion'being stationary, said shiftable end portion provided with a detent stop portion extending outwardly from the semicircular side portion thereof, said resilient spring portion of coil form, and a U-shaped portion at one end of said resilient spring portion arranged to support and guide said semi-circular in cross section end portion, both of said opposite end portions extending some distance past said U- shaped portion.

ERNEST F. WOOSTER. 

